Clash of Kingdoms
by Rebellegirl
Summary: There are four kingdoms- Thunder, Wind, River, and Shadow, each with their own rulers. A young lady goes on a forbidden quest, a teenage knight tries to find himself, two sisters try to settle their differences, all because of one nomad was left behind. Rated T for violence and themes. AU but not OOC.
1. Prologue

Prologue

**Okay, I was REALLY bored here at 3 in the morning, so I decided to do this! Please review, it would mean a lot to me. Constructive criticism is allowed, flames are not. **

"Mommy, read me a bedtime story!" A young princess pleaded the queen.

"Okay, okay. I'll read you one." She said. She looked through the bookshelf, and found an book labeled 'King Fire's Story of Reign.' "Ah, my old favorite."

"Mommy, before you begin can I say goodnight to Daddy?" The little girl said.

"Okay. King Lion!" The queen yelled.

"Yes, Queen Cinder?" The king ran up to the room.

"Ember wants to say goodnight."

"Goodnight daddy!" The Princess pecked King Lion on the cheek.

"Goodnight little Ember." The King hugged his daughter.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" The Queen sassed.

"Oh yes! I have battle training to go to!" The King mocked.

"Silly dork." The Queen laughed. She grabbed the King's back and kissed him.

"Goodnight Cinderella!" The King teased.

"Goodnight Lionel!" The Queen teased back.

"Mommy?" the Princess asked.

"Yes?"

"Can you start the story?"

"Okay. It began long ago.


	2. Chapter 1

**Oh my gosh, thank you for reviewing Stuffed Watermelon and the almighty Empress Tansy!**

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**"Okay, it began long ago..."**

Chapter 1

It began long ago, during the reign of Queen Bluesista. She had a strange dream; the kind that the heavens sent.

"Having strange dreams?" The kingdom's local enchantress, Sophiana, asked Queen Bluesista.

"Yes." Queen Bluesista said.

"What was it about this time?" Sophiana asked.

"Tigers were everywhere, invading the castle, killing the people, when a fire swept through and the tigers were gone. The people were okay."

"I had a sign, from God. It was 'Fire alone can save our kingdom.'"


	3. Chapter 2

**Thanks, all you reviewers! I appreciate all reviews. And if you have some constructive critism, then please share it! Thanks!**

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Chapter 2

Ah, the great battle of River and Thunder. River had declared war upon the mighty Thunder. They fought over a piece of valuable land; one that valued in mining.

"Fire!" A barrage of arrows flodded the Thunder camp.

"Mousele! Are you okay?" A knight by the name of Lionel had helped up one of the archers shot by an arrow.

"I'm fine." Mousele hissed. She grasped the arrow sticking out of her side and yanked it out. She grabbed her bow and knocked in an arrow.

"Steady, steady." The commander named Tigeren held up his hand, ready to give the signal. "Fire!" He roared, as a horde of arrows flew from the barracks.

"Attack!" The River commander, Oaken, shouted, and his troops attacked the walls. They soon toppled down. Swords clashed and many fell to the ground bloodied.

A Thunder general, Reddel, attacked Oaken. They fought for a while: general upon general.

Tigeren pulled out his sword and attacked a few River soldiers.

"Oaken!" A female River solider shrieked. Oaken lay on the ground dead.

"Retreat!" Reddel yelled. The troops started running away.

"Why are we retreating? We were winning!" Tigeren roared.

"We cannot win this fight. The Rocks may be theirs, but we will soon win them back." Reddel sighed.

**"Will they win the Rocks back?" Princess Ember asked.**

**"****Shh... I'm still reading." Queen Cinder put a finger to her mouth.**


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews! Two more to update!**

Rusty laid on the ground, tired of his day's work. Sleep filled his vision.

He could almost taste the deer in his mouth. This was the first one he had seen in years.

Rusty pulled out his knife, and lunged at it.

"Ow!" He yelled. Rusty woke up from his dream with his hand stuck in a blackberry bush. The thorns were digging into his palm in an uncomfortable manner. He tugged his hand out, wincing deeply at the pain.

He looked around. Where was his tribe?

'Oh no!' He thought. They must've left him behind!

Well, there was no looking for them; they were to fast for Rusty to catch up to them. Rusty got up, and started walking away.

"Rusty! How are you? Haven't seen you around here for quote some time!" A man yelled from a hut. Smudge, the fat man who lived in the hut by the Thunder kingdom. He lived a happy life, not having any troubles at all.

"Good, my friend. Very good." Rusty scowled. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go." Rusty started walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Smudge asked. "You're not going to try to get through the walls of the kingdom, are you?"

"What else can I do? I can't live alone, and I want to explore what's out there!" Rusty spat on the ground.

"Live with me!" Smudge said.

"You don't understand! I can't live with you, I'm not suited to all, this." Rusty motioned to Smudge's hut.

"Then get used to it!"

"I can't! Look, I'm not a child anymore. I'm twelve! I'm going to the kingdom, and I'm seeing what else is out there! Not just living in one place for two minutes then moving to the next!" Rusty stomped off, ignoring the shouting from his friend.

**"Mommy?" Ember asked.**

**"Yes?"**

**"I'm almost twelve. Does this mean I can do things on my own?"**

**"Ember, you're only 6. You still have a while to go. Now let me finish."**

"Halt! R-, report your business!" A young guard shouted shakily from the wall as Rusty walked by.

"I'm just coming through. I want to live here." Rusty said. He started walking again.

"S-, s-, stop!" The guard stuttered. He lunged at Rusty.

"Ow!" Rusty shouted, and threw the guard off his shoulders. The guard lunged at him again.

"Fight pretty good for a nomad." The guard admitted.

"Thanks." Rusty panted.

"What's your name?"

"Rusty."

"I'm Grayson. 'Cause of my grey hair. See?" Grayson took off his helmet, revealing sweaty grey hair.

"They call me Rusty 'cause that's what Nutmeg called me."

"Okay. I'll just call you Rusty. Who's Nutmeg?"

"My mother." Rusty admitted.

"Well, you might want to scram, because if the others catch you, you're bloody dead meat." Grayson sliced his finger across his neck.

"Well well, you did a good job Grayson." A female voice said from above the two boys. She jumped down from her perch, and landed with a small thud.

**"This is my favorite part." Princess Ember grinned.**

"Shh... I still reading." Queen Cinder put a finger up to her mouth.

Rusty looked up at the lady. She was wearing a leather suit of armor surrounded by chain mail. She had a crossbow at her side and four daggers strapped to her belt.

"Queen Bluesista!" Grayson bowed down to the female. Rusty followed his lead.

"Good work, Grayson. You found the nomad we were looking for." Queen Bluesista nodded to Grayson. She then looked at Rusty. "I assumed you wanted to join us?"

"Ye-," Rusty started.

"Very well. Grayson, bring him to the throne room."

"Wait!" Rusty shouted. "What are you doing?"

"You're joining our knighthood. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Queen Bluesista, are you okay? Do you need to lie down?" A guard walked up to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine Lionel! I'm doing the right thing!" Queen Bluesista slapped his hand off. "The heavens told me to do this." She whispered mysteriously.

"Well, the queen has made her decision, no matter how much stupidity is in it." Lionel grabbed Rusty's arm and dragged him to the throne room.

"Bluesista! Why weren't you resting like I told you?" _Woah._ Rusty thought. What he saw laid out before his green eyes was about the prettiest lady you could ever see.

"Sophiana, I'm orienting a new knight." Queen Bluesista snapped.

"Perhaps she had too much bourbon." Enchantress Sophiana whispered. She looked at Queen Bluesista. "Dear Bluesista, how much bourbon have you been drinking?"

"I have been drinking none." Queen Bluesista said drowsily. She groaned and passed out.

"And there you have it. Too much bourbon." Sophiana said.

"I don't think she had too much bourbon..." Grayson said.

"You're right. She might've been tired, or something." Sophiana shook her head. She kneeled down to Queen Bluesista and shook her quite a bit.

"What the-,?" Bluesista gasped.

"Good, you're awake. Now, let's get you something to drink-," Sophiana led Bluesista off.

"What are we going to do while the Queen is off?" Rusty asked.

"Well, we could go to the barracks. Since you might become a knight, you might want to know the place." Grayson said. He started to walk away.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Rusty ran after Grayson.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**8 reviews! Thanks for the support!**

"Well well well, who do we have here?" A dusty-haired said, tossing and catching a rock in the air.

"A _nomad._" The archer beside him snarled. "A stinky nomad who doesn't belong."

"You shut up Feather Duster. You too, Beach Bitch." Grayson snapped.

"How dare you call me a dog?!" The archer hissed. The boy had to hold her back.

"Sandy, stop." The boy said.

"Yeah, stop Sandisum." Grayson snarled.

"Don't call me by that name Grayson!" Sandy hissed.

"Just stop, all of you." A blonde man, around 19, loomed over the four kids. "You," He pointed at Rusty. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Rusty asked.

"Why you little," He held up his hand, like he wanted to punch Rusty. He pulled it back, and laughed. Rusty stared at him weirdly until the man punched him.

"Ow!" Rusty exclaimed. The man just punched him again.

"Stupid nomad." Sandy hissed. "Get him, Tall Man!"

"It's Larold." The man hissed. Rusty blocked another punched and swung one of his own at Larold's ear. "Ow!" Larold clutched his ear. "Why you-,"

"Stop this." Queen Bluesista walked into the barrack elegantly. Larold clutched his ear and stomped away, glaring furiously at Rusty. "Rusty, why are you here?"

"It was his fault!" Dustin, Sandy, and Rusty all pointed at Grayson.

"What?" Grayson gasped innocently.

"Grayson, you're put on stable duties until further notice." Bluesista silenced Grayson before he could complain. "Rusty, come with me." Queen Bluesista started walking away. Rusty followed.

"Rusty, do you want to join us?" Bluesista asked. Rusty nodded. "Do you want to join us?!" She roared.

"Yes ma'am!" Rusty tried to yell, but it ended up in an undignified squeak.

"Rusty, do you uphold our code, and promise to follow it until you die?" She asked while pulling a sword out of her sheath.

"Yes!"

"Do you promise to help us, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then, until you die you shall be known as Fire, to be stripped of your nomad name." Bluesista gently set the sword on Rusty's shoulder, then on the other. "You are now, a knight of the kingdom of Thunder." She looked intensely at Fire.

"Thank you." Fire whispered.

"What are you doing?" A man yelled. "Get out of this castle right now!"

"General Tigerin, he is right where he needs to be." Queen Bluesista said sharply.

"My lady, I am sorry." He bowed down to her. "But I don't see why a stranger is in the castle."

"My new knight. Tigerin, we need more trainees, and this one seems capable. He defeated Grayson and Larold."

"Um..." Fire started.

"Shh, I'm talking. I need you and Lionel to train him until further notice."

"So you send the two most capable knights, your _heir_," Tigerin spat the word _heir _out. "To train this nomad? And, to make it worse, we already have apprentices. No matter how _stupid _and _clumsy _they are."

"You will take charge with Lionel to train your own apprentices and this one. Think of it as, a test."

"Fine."

"Good. Your training starts now."

Tigerin walked away.

"Follow him." Bluesista waved her hand away. Fire quickly ran after Tigerin.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Anyway, check out my Deviantart account, angel-in-her-misery!**

**A/N: this is set a few moons after the last chapter. **

**O/A/N: Bluesista's name is pronounced Bl-uh-siss-tah, not Blue-sis-ter. Just for diversity and note.**

**O/O/A/N: I will be tying in different books. Events in the second book will be tied in with events in the first book, third book, so on. But they will go in a slight chronological order. Got that?**

**O/O/O/A/N: I'm trying a different writing style, and trying to make chapters longer.**

**READ ON!**

**Queen Cinder fingered the page as her daughter spoke. "What happens next?"**

**"You'll see." She smiled mischeviously.**

Ravenly shivered. His whole body shook as general Tigerin stared his cold hard stare at him. Revenly felt like he could read his mind.

_I will kill you, Ravenly. I know what you saw, and I will kill you._

Tigerin picked at his stubby, bloody nails. "Are you sure you did the right thing?"

"Yes." Bluesista nodded. She extended her arm to her servant, the sorcerer of the Shadow kingdom that Fire had found not two moons ago. The story is for another time, maybe later. "Yenene."

"Yes, your majesty?" The nearly blonde woman croaked, scowling at the words 'your majesty'. You could see the grey sprouting from the roots.

"My sword."

"Right, your majesty." She whispered, bowing her head. She stepped lightly over to the queen's weapon rack, and pulled a silver sword out. She kneeled down in front of the queen, handing her the sword, her hands pressed on the flat on the blade. The queen grabbed it slowly. Yenene was scowling the whole time, biting her lip in an attempt to keep her mouth shut.

"This is my finest weapon." She stared into the blade's depths. "I expect it to slay quite a few more enemy warriors."

"I do not see your point." Tigerin spread his hands.

"Shadow." She said quickly.

"Excuse me?"

"They've been planning something." She narrowed her eyes. "I can feel it."

"But do you, m'lady, expect us to do something? We cannot invade with out evidence, and we most certainly cannot fuel them with a reason to ransack us!" General Tigerin's eyes narrowed.

"M'lady." Sandisum bowed her head at the entrance. "May-, may I speak to you?"

"Yes. General, I do see your point. We will not attack until the time is right." Bluesista nodded softly. "I expect our apprentices and warriors trained and ready to defend the castle. We cannot risk being unprotected."

"Yes, m'lady." Tigerin bowed his head, then rushed away. He started yelling, "Wall patrol! Larold, Fire, Whitely, Ravenly, Dustin," He shouted quite a few names to put on defense. Nearly every knight was called.

"Sandisum." Bluesista bowed her head. Sandisum bowed hers quickly. "What is it you want to speak to me of?"

"Sophiana." Her eyes widened in shock. "Sophiana is gone."

Sophiana's eyes widened. She had finally found out what it meant!

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over her small figure. She screamed, and grabbed her glass dagger. It was supposed to be a symbol of her powers, but she had no choice but to use it in her defense.

Searing pain shot through her side. She gasped in pain, then collapsed.

"Sophiana!" Bluesista screamed. "Sophiana!"

"Soph!" Yenene yelled, the loud noise coming from the sorcery room. "Soph-, Soph,"

"What happened to her?!" Bluesista screamed.

Yenene almost broke into tears. Sophiana had always treated her well, ever since she had left the kingdom of Shadow.

The tears wouldn't come out. They just wouldn't.

Fire came running up the stairwell, and nearly toppled over the queen. "Shadow knights! Invading! Where's Sophiana?"

"She's dead!" Yenene cried. Fire gasped, and ran into the strictly forbidden sorcery room. Queen Bluesista nearly called out to the apprentice, but she knew him well enough to know that he had a very good friendship with the sorceress.

"No." Fire whispered. "No!"

"What's happening?!" Tigerin yelled. He looked at Fire. "Get back on defense!"

His gaze drifted towards the bleeding sorceress. "What happened to her?! Who was around when it happened?!"

"No one." Bluesista whispered. "Everyone was on guard."

The general looked at the ragged Shadow sorceress. "Were you around when she died?"

"Yes, but no. I didn't see her die." Yenene said.

"Liar! You killed her!' Tigerin yelled.

Yenene gasped. "I would do no such thing!"

"You were the only one around!" Tigerin rushed up to her, grasped her arm, and held his sword up above his head.

"Stop!" The queen shrieked. "Stop. We don't know if she's innocent or not. Hold a fair trial against her."

A shriek was heard from the front stairwell, followed by a girl screaming, "Lionel! Oh, Lionel!"

"Golda. Golda!" Tigerin shrieked. "Are you okay?!"

He started running towards the stairwell. He grasped his sword tightly in his hand.

A golden-haired pregnant woman screamed. She carried a small dagger in her hand.

"Golda!" Tigerin hissed. "Get back in the nursery!"

"I'm not leaving!" She shrieked. She looked at the dead body of her brother. "I have to avenge him!"

"But what about our children?" Tigerin's eyes glistened.

"Our children will be fine. Just let me help." She lowered Tigerin's dagger with a sharp fingernail. She cried a fierce battle cry, and rammed her shoulder against an enemy knight.

Tigerin smiled. "That's my girl."

He charged into battle, hitting a black haired man, though he missed. The man smiled sickenly, and the general smiled. He struck his shoulder, and the man collapsed.

A little girl screamed, her black chainmail fitting loosely over her small shoulders. Dustin smiled. Easy prey.

"Stop!" Ravenly shrieked. "She's only seven!"

The girl screamed yet again, and ran away.

"Why did you let her escape?!" Dustin gritted his teeth.

"How old we you when you went on your first battle?"

"Twelve."

"Now subtract five years from that. What happened then?"

"I dunno! You know I can't do that stuff!"

"Right." Ravenly rolled his amber eyes. "What did you do when you were seven?"

"Played with Sandisum."

"How would you like it if you had been killed at that age?"

Dustin opened his mouth to say something, but no noise came out. He closed his mouth. "Fine. I see your point."

Ravenly smirked. "Good. Now, let's kill these bastards, shall we?"

Dustin followed the black haired boy, then stopped. "Hey!"

**"Mother, why did Dustin say, 'Hey!'?" Ember asked.**

**"Because Dustin is a bastard himself. His mother never married a man."**

**"Okay."**

Queen Bluesista's eyes glistened as she looked at the six caskets. Two were filled, four weren't. Elsa cried, not taking her eyes off of the four empty caskets.

Golda put her hand on her shoulder. "Elsa, we can't go back and change this. The past is in the past."

Elsa sniffed, wiping her nose. "They were my babies..." Elsa broke into tears yet again. "And my husband..."

"Elsa." Queen Bluesista's eyes darted across the room. "I don't think your children are dead."

"What?!" Elsa perked up, the tears stopping for just a few seconds.

"I will send a search party to hunt for them in Shadow Kingdom."

Elsa cried again, not bothering to wipe the salty tears from her frost-blue eyes.

Bluesista motioned to the two guards. "Fetch Fire and Grayson for me."

"Yes, your highness." One of the guards said. They both rushed out of the hall.

"Elsa, Golda, got back to the nursery."

"Yes, m'lady." Golda and Elsa bowed their heads slowly and hurried off to the nursery.

"M'lady, what do you require our services for?" Grayson asked cockily. Fire followed him.

"I need you to go into the Shadow kingdom."

Grayson's jaw dropped. "You're sending us on a _mission_? What are we looking for?"

"Elsa's children, Cinderella, Bracken, John, and Silvia. They were kidnapped and are being held hostage. You will be going alone, for an adult would attract too much attention." Bluesista handed them two small daggers. "You cannot use swords; for they would also draw the enemy's eye. Keep them hidden." The boys nodded, giving silent thanks. "Come back _alive_. Don't get caught, at least, don't get captured alive."

"Why-," Grayson slapped his sweaty hand over Fire's mouth. The grey-haired boy gave him a strict look, like they would talk about it later.

"You leave now, while it's still day-light. Sneak in, act like poor beggars, and find the children."

The two boys nodded. "Can we bring Ravenly?" _It wouldn't be fun without him._ Fire thought after he spoke.

"I suppose so. Come back at dawn, when the gates open." Bluesista flicked her wrist towards the door. The two boys bowed their heads and walked to the door.

"This is so exciting!" Grayson whispered, pumping his pale fist near his chest.

"I know!" Fire squeaked. "Let's find Ravenly."

"Why?" Ravenly asked behind them. The two boys jumped.

"We're going on a mission." Grayson breathed. "And I know how you can escape."

Ravenly panted, trying to keep up with the two boys.

"C'mon!" Grayson hissed. "We're almost at Barley's farm!"

Ravenly puffed, then ran a little faster.

Grayson skidded to a breath-taking halt. "We're here."

A faded red barn stood in front of the three boys. Grayson banged on the door. "Barley! Baa-aarly!"

"I'm here, I'm here!" A black man came out, his hands raised in surrender. "Grayson! What are you doing here?"

"Barley, this is Ravenly. Say hi, Ravenly."

"Greetings." Ravenly's head hung low.

"Hello, Ravenly." Barley said cheerily. "How may I help you?"

"Ravenly here needs to escape from someone evil. He was going to kill him some day, stage an accident. Take care of him, please. He is my only friend."

Fire elbowed Grayson, and coughed.

"He is my first friend." Grayson said louder. Fire smirked smugly.

"I'll take care of him. Does he like music?" Barley asked. Ravenly nodded enthusiastically. "I've got some goatskin drums and a shaker."

"We have to go." Fire elbowed Grayson. "Goodbye, Barley, Ravenly."

"Goodbye." Ravenly wiped a small tear from his eye.

"Goodbye!" Grayson waved enthusiastically. The two boys set off for the Shadow kingdom.

"It sure is dreary here." Grayson whispered.

"Shut up." Fire elbowed him softly. "We need to find the entrance."

"There it is!" Grayson hissed. He pointed to an opening in the stone castle. There were no guards. Not one sound. "We need to get in."

"Just go!"

The boys ran swiftly to the entrance. Fire peeked through the entrance. There were no guards. He looked up, down, left, right, and there were no guards.

"Go, go, go!" Grayson hissed. They both ran through the door and up the archer tower. They walked on the walkways near the edge of the walls, and there were still no guards. They passed a small lit room. Grayson peeked in.

"We'll attack through the back wall, where there are no watchers." A man hissed.

"Yes. Then with the new powder that the Asain's sent us, we can blast through the walls and invade their nursery. We'll take more children to train, the ones we have are useless. Two already died."

_Already died?_ Both boys thought. They shivered, and tiptoed past.

Fire heard a small girl crying. He stopped, located the door, and opened it with a creak. He poked his red head through. A boy sniffled, and the girl was weeping. The girl looked at Fire, and tried not to scream by holding her hand over her mouth.

"Hey, it's me, Fire. I'm here to rescue you." Fire whispered. The girl nodded, and pushed herself up. The boy got himself up, and the two held hands as they walked towards the apprentices. "What are your names?"

"I'm Cinder." The girl whispered. "Cinderella."

"Bracken." The boy bit his lip.

"Come with us. Don't make a sound." Grayson whispered. He grabbed Bracken's shirt teasingly and started dragging him swiftly out.

"Will you hold my hand?" Cinder whimpered. Blush like red rogue crept onto Fire's face as he slowly grasped the small girl's hand. Grayson looked back and snickered. Fire hissed, and kept walking.

The four children made it out of the castle, the main keep, and started swiftly towards the gate.

"Not so fast." A man hissed behind them. Bracken screamed, and started running. Cinder tried not to laugh, but Fire grabbed the hem of her dress and swooped her over his shoulder. Grayson stood in shock, then ran like lightning.

"We're home." Fire panted. He set Cinder down on her feet, and speedily walked towards the Queen's castle. Grayson followed with Bracken.

"Wait!" Cinder cried. She ran quickly towards Fire, and hugged him tightly. Fire awkwardly kneeled down and hugged her.

"I see you've rescued two of them." The queen's voice thundered from behind him He stood up quickly.

"The other two didn't make it." Fire whispered.

"Elsa!"

"What?!" Elsa came running from the nursery. She looked at Cindy and Bracken, then ran towards them and swiftly swooped them into her arms. "I was so worried," She whispered. She planted soft kisses on each of their heads. "Where are John and Cynthia?"

Cinder and Bracken's eyes glistened wet with unsung tears.

"Elsa, they both died. These two are lucky they're alive." Queen Bluesista's head hung low.

Elsa started crying, gripping her children tighter. "You saved my children's lives. I wish you the best of luck, vigor, and fertility."

Grayson looked at Fire, and stuck his tongue out, clearly disgusted, Fire couldn't see what was so wrong.

"Fire!" Someone shouted from behind the two boys. Sandisum had yelled it. She ran towards the two boys. "You both had me worried!" Dustin rolled his brown eyes, following her. Sandisum blushed. "Not that I care, of course." She scoffed.

"Of course you don't." Fire scoffed. He, too, had blushed. Grayson gagged, and started walking away.

Queen Bluesista looked around. "Where is young Ravenly?"

"He died. He held back two fierce knights as we entered the castle. They were the only ones on guard, and he and the two guards died." Grayson said. He had fake tears in his eyes. Fire stared off into the distance, making his eyes water from not blinking. It looked like tears.

"We are sorry for his loss. We will prepare a casket service for him with Lionel and John and Cynthia. You two get back to your corridors, and get some sleep. Training starts at sunrise."


End file.
